The economy dominated voters’ concerns at historical levels in the presidential election Tuesday, according to preliminary exit polls conducted by The Associated Press and the major television networks.

Fully 62 percent of voters said the economy was the most important issue, six times more than cited the war in Iraq (10 percent), health care (9 percent) or terrorism (9 percent).

Not since 1980, in the shadow of a gas crisis and stagflation, did the economy dominate voters concerns as it did Tuesday. Back then, almost seven in 10 voters named either the economy or inflation, jobs and unemployment or balancing the federal budget as the top issue on their minds.

In 2004, only 20 percent of voters cited the economy, while 22 percent cited moral values, 19 percent terrorism and 15 percent Iraq. In 2000 as well, the economy/jobs, taxes, education, social security and world affairs all carried roughly equal weight among the voters.

This marked issue contrast in four years explains, in large part, why Democrat Barack Obama came into Election Day the strong favorite, both in national and state polling. Voters have seen Obama throughout most of the general election campaign as the more capable steward of the economy.

Nearly all voters agreed the economy was in poor shape. Eight in 10 said they were worried the economic crisis would harm their family’s future, while about half said they were “very worried.” At least four in 10 said their family's financial situation worsened since 2004. And a stunning two-thirds expressed concern about affording health care.

Additionally, more than half of the electorate said they opposed the $700 billion government financial bail-out.

More than a third of voters said the quality that mattered most in their candidate was the capacity to bring about change in Washington. That is nearly identical to 1980 and roughly 5 percentage points more voters who cited change in 2004.

The stock market plunge and credit crisis in mid-September expanded Obama’s reach in key electoral states such as Georgia and Indiana.

For Republican John McCain, who maintained his edge in the public’s view as the stronger candidate on national security issues and foreign affairs, the utter dominance of economic issues overwhelmed his campaign.

About third-thirds of voters said they were worried about another domestic terrorist attack – about the same level of anxiety as in 2004. But less than half as many voters this year named terrorism as their top issue, compared to four years ago

Fully 86 percent of those who said terrorism was the top issue voted for McCain – but they barely constituted a tenth of the electorate.

The issue shift was not the only factor behind the poor political environment for Republicans this year.

The public exhibited remarkably high, though not surprising, displeasure with the political status quo. Roughly three in four voters disapproved of the White House and Congress. Three in four voters saw the country on the wrong track, about 25 percent more than four years ago.

Only about 20 percent of exit poll respondents approved of President Bush’s job performance, where more than half did four years ago.

In one sign of Obama’s continued weakness, only about half of voters said he has the experience to serve effectively as president. Six in 10 believed McCain meets that threshold.

After the quality of change, about 30 percent of voters said they were looking for a candidate that shared their values. A fifth said they sought experience above all in their candidate.

In 2000, 15 percent of voters said experience was the top quality they sought in a candidate and eight in 10 favored Vice President Al Gore over George W. Bush.

While the economy was the preeminent issue, six in 10 voters said that future appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court appointments were important factors in their votes and two-thirds of voters expressed support for drilling for oil off the U.S. coast.

Demographically, the majority of voters were again women. As in 2004, three in four voters had more than a high school education.

It also appears that white, born-again evangelical Christians have turned out in similar portions to 2004, constituting about a quarter of voters.

Nearly half of voters said they have a gun in their household.

Also, one in 10 voters said they were voting for the first time this year and they were, as expected, more likely to be a minority or young.

As in 2004, about one in 10 voters interviewed by exit pollsters said they decided their votes in the last week.